Concrete-building-unit-molding machine



' CONCRETE BUILDING UNIT MOLDING MACHINE Filed Nov. 19, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 C 1 0 ME U I l 1: q u INVENTGR 33 1 Harry E aLOLLSflJ" Y Q mr- ATTORNEY July 27 1926.

H. E. CLOUSER CONCRETE BUILDING UNIT MOLDING MACHINE s Sheds-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 19. 1924 July 27 1926.

H. E. CLOUSER CONCRETE BUILDING pNIT MOLDING MACHINE Filed. Nv. 19. 1924 s Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Harry E CLOLLQGI" ATTORN EY Patented July 27, 1926.

UNITED STATES HARRY E. CLOUSER, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA.

CONCRETE-BUILDI1\lG-UNIT-MOIiDING MACHINE.

Application filed November 19, 1924. Serial No. 750,776.

This invention relates to the building art and particularly to concrete building unit molding machines of the tamping type.

The primary object of the invention was to evolve a unitary, self-contained unit forming and tamping machine which can be readily transported and set up where it may be found desirable, either at some central point for serving a given locality or immediately at the building site itself where the Volume of building units required would justify the same.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an effective and easily controlling tamping assembly; to arrange for an easy deliv ery of the mix to the tamping mold and the carrying back and reusing of any overflow thereof to prevent wastage; and to provide a simple and effective means of removing the finished units from the machine. I

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts on the several views:

Fig. 1 is a front side elevation of the complete apparatus broken away intermediate its ends.

Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial back view of the machine.

Fig. 4 is a partial top plan View of the,

same.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional elevation showing the concrete feeding structure ad jacent the unit forming or mold end of the machine.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section showing a concrete-mixer gate structure.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawing, the numeral 1 denotes a pair of spaced uprights rigidly connected together at vertically spaced points by horizontal cross beams 2, and suit-ably braced from the ground by braces 3. The structure thus formed constitutes a rigid framework upon which my improved unit forming structure is mounted, and hereafter designated in toto by the letter A.

Rigidlymounted on the framework at a suitable height and disposed between. While projecting outwardly of the uprights, a support 4: for a horizontal mold, preferably of the type shown in my Patent 1,5672%, filed November 29, 1924, Serial No. 752,925 and which includes a rigid base or table portion 4?: and horizontally movable side members projecting upwardly therefroz n.

Projecting outwardly from the uprights l are vertical and parallel rods 6 slidably guided in vertically spaced bearing boxes 2' mounted on the outer faces of the uprights 1. Extending between and rigidly secured to the rods 6 in vertically spaced relation are upper and lower rigid crossbars 8 and 9 respectively, serving as guides and bearings for a plurality of aliued, but independent tappet rods 10 disoosed "in. a vertical plane extending longitudinally of the mold and centrally between the sides 5 thereof.

The rods 10 have heads 11 on their upper ends, above the bar 8 and tappets 12 located between the bars 8 and-9, and stamps 153 on their lower ends below the bar 9. The tappets are adapted to be engaged by cams 14. mounted on a common horizontal shaft journaled onto the uprights 1 and extending type commonly employed in stamp mills,

and are mounted in staggered relation on the shaft, so that the tappets move up and down in staggered order. The stamps are of rectangular face-area, and are closely alined with each other. tially equal to the horizontal surface area of the mold as defined by the sides 5, and they are disposed so as to be in vertical alinement with said mold area.

Pivoted onto one of the uprights 1 is a hand lever 16, connected to the bar 9 by a link 17. Attached to the upper bar 8 adjacent the ends thereof are cables 18 or the like which extend over pulleys 19 mounted on top of the uprights. The cables then ex tend down behind the uprights and have counterweights 20 attached to their lower extremities.

The parts are so arrangedthatwhen the lever 16 is raised, the bar 8 bears against the heads llof the tappet rods, and raises said rods, and of course their stamps and tappets aswell, so that the ta-ppets are raised clear of the cams, the stamps being then in common horizontal alinement, and a considorable distance above the mold. This enables the mold to be easily manipulated, and

Their total area is substanits the concrete ponI'fed -.therein; or the finished unit to-be removed theref'rom': When the mold has been filled with concrete in'the manner hereinafter set font'h and 1131 de' sired to tamp the concrete in order to make a unit of firm character; the'lever'lb is ltm ered until the bar 8 clears the heads 11 and the tappets rest either on their respective cams or onthe surface of the concrete. in the mold as the case may be; p

The cams (which areprefer'ably in continuous operation) will of course atonce acton the lowercdta'ppets and'cause'tlic stamps to rise and fallin tliewell known manner;

The tampin'g' operation completed, the stamps are again raised by manipulation-of the lever 16 enablingfthe finish'ed' u'nit to be withdrawn from the mold.

Thereason for the use ofa battery of intermittently and alternately operating stamps or tampers, instead" of applying a continuous pressure to the concrete is because it has been found from experience to be the b'estpra'ctice inasmuch as it'gives the proper density andkcrushingtstrengthto the units, which is. not always obtainable under the pressure method, for various reasons known to those skille'd in' theart;

The concrete isprepared" and fed to the mold in the following manner:

Positioned la' certain distance away from the tamping unit is a concrete mixer 21 of suitable type, includinga horizontal and cylindrical drum'22,' open on top, and a heater and mixing mechanism 23in the drum turnably mounted on a driven shaft241 Formed as asegment'of'th'e drum on one sideth ereof is a gate 25 (see 6) rigidly attached to outwardly extending arms 26 mountedon a shaft'27, to which is connected a control lever 28. The shaft 27 is so locate-dH'elative to the center of th'e'drum that the gate can onlyopen upwardly, as shown in dotted lincsin' Fig; 6;:

The mixer-drum discharges, through-the gate opening, into a sloping sided'sump29. An endless driven conveyor 30of-suitable form leads from adjacentth'e bottom of the sump on the side thereof "opposite to the gate and in ali nement'therewith'to thetamping machine a certain distance above the mold and stampseandinplane toth'erear of the upr ghts 1. The conveyor discharges at its upperend intoia; chute.3lileadi'ngfldown to a horizontal table 32 positioned justabove the top of the. mold and extending lengthwise thereof,"l the front; edge of" the table overhangingflthe back side member 5 of the mold but notprojectifng suflici'ently forward to mterfere with the" movement of the stamps. VValls" 33 project upwardly from thesides and back'ofthe' table, so that any material F thereon" can. only escape" from. the front.

Completely surrounding the mold in spaced relation thereto on'all sides is a catch basin 3 1, whose rim is at a level somewhat lower than the bottom of the mold. This basin discharges onto an endless conveyor 35 of suitable form which in turn discharges int'oachute'36, which discharges the material from said conveyor 35 into the sump 2!) between the conveyor 30 and the gate 25.

In operation, the materials of which the concrete is to be made are placed in the suitable manner, to cause it to drop into and fill the mold when desired. Any concrete which may happen to miss the mold, or the excess concrete which is leveledoif the top of the moldb eforc the camping operations are commenced, drop into the catchbasin from which place the concrete is automatically returned 'to the sump to be used over.

Thus there is absolutely no waste of concrete. It will also be seen that the opera tions of the worker handling the actual making of the units are not necessarily co'- ordinated withthe operations of the workers mixing the concrete. This is because, assuming of course that mixing operations are not halted for an unduly long interval while the remainder of the apparatus is 111' operation, there will always be a reasonable supply of mixed concrete in the sump 29' for the conveyor 30 to draw from, an'dconsequcntly there will also be a continuously maintained flow of concrete deposited'onto the table 32.

While the amount on the table may be seriously'depleted every time the mold is filled, by the time the mold is emptied'an'd again ready for filling, the'supply. at hand will have been replenished.

lVhile I have shown an apparatus having" only a single block mold and tamping unit, Icontemplate using a pair of such units fed from a single mixer of sufii'cient capacity to supply the needs:- of both. In such'cases anotherconveyor'37 (see Fig. 5) extends from a point adjacent the upper end of the conveyor 30 to the second tamping unit, with a movable gate or apron 38 between the adjacent-ends of said conveyors. This gate is arranged to be manipulated by any suitable means so that the conveyor 30 will eitherdischarge onto the conveyor 37'or into chute 31; The supporting frames A ofthe two units are also rigidly connected together by horizontal beams 39 extending betweensaid frames.

In the mean To drive the cams, conveyor and mixer, I employ a single electric motor mounted on an extension framework 41 projecting from the back and to one side of the frame A. of the tamping unit nearest the mixer. This motor drives a shaft 42 parallel to'the motor shaft and mounted on the framework A by means of a pulley and belt structure 43.

'1 1e motor also is directly connected in driving relation with a shaft 44 mounted on the framework A disposed at right angles to the motor shaft. Mounted on said frame work A is another shaft 45 parallel to shaft 42 (which is also parallel to the cam shaft 15) said shafts 42 and 45 being connected by a chain drive 46. A chain drive 47 con nects the shafts 1.5 and 45 in driving relation. The shaft 45 also extends to the further tamping unit structure, if such is used. and similarly drives the cam shaft thereof.

From the shaft 44 a chain drive 48 extends to and drives a shaft 49 mounted on the framework A parallel to the shaft 44. From this shaft 49 a chain drive 50 extends upwardly to drive the upper shaft 30 of conveyor 30. A chain drive 51 also extends horizontally fromv the shaft 49 to a similar shaft mounted on the next unit It will therefore be seen by reason of the foregoing arrangement of driving connec tions, the tamping unit or units and their drive means. are entirely self contained and form a unitary structure which may be readily transported from place to place and put in operation immediately without any initial dismantling and subsequent reassembling of any parts of the structure being necessary.

A belt drive 52 extends from the shaft 44 to a shaft 53 mounted in connection with the mixer. a reduction gear drive 54 connectine the shaft 53 with the mixer shaft 24. X clutch 55 of suitable character is arranged between the shaft 52 and its belt drive to enable the driving of said shaft to be dis continued at will.

From the upper end of shaft 30 a chain drive 56 extends tothe lower end shaft 35 of the return conveyor 35. This conveyor, if two tamping units are employed, extends beyond the catch basin 34 of the adjacent tamping unit'to the catch basin of the further unit, so as to serve both units in common.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A concrete building-unit molding machine including a mold to receive the. concrete from which the unit is formed, a plu rality of stamps arranged in connection with the'mold, operating means for said stamps for causing the same to impart a tamping action on the concrete, rods provided with the stamps, vertically movable guide means for the rods, heads on the rods normally clear of the guide means, and means for raising said guide means to cause the same to abut against the heads and raise the rods simultaneously.

2. A concrete building-unit molding machine including a mold to receive the concrete from which the unit is formed, a plurality of stamps arranged in connection with the mold, operating means for said stamps for causing the same to impart a tamping action on the concrete, rods provided with the stamps, vertically spaced bars mounted as a unit and. in which the rods are slidably guided, heads on the rods, normally clear of the bars, and a hand controlled lever connected to one of said bars for raising the bar unit to cause the same to abut against the heads and raise all the rods simultaneously.

3. A concrete buildingunit molding machine including a mold to receive the concrete from which the unit is formed, a plurality of stamps arranged in connection with the mold, rods projecting up from the stamps, tappets on the rods, staggered. cams engageable intermittently with the tappets. spaced cross bars forming guides for the rods, heads on the rods above the bars, bearing means mounted in fixed relation with the cams, members vertically slidable through said bearing means and connected to the bars to form a' unit therewith, and means for raising said unit to cause the upper bar to engage the rod-heads and. raise the rods, the heads being normally clear of the cross bar.

4. A concrete building unit molding machine comprising separated members for receiving supplies of concrete, means for supporting individual. molds disposed adjacent said members, a main concrete receptacle. a conveyor leading from said receptacle to discharge onto one of the members, a second conveyor leading from said first named conveyor to the other member, and means operable at will for enabling concrete on the first conveyor to be discharged onto the second conveyor instead of onto the one member.

5. A concrete building unit molding machine comprising separated members for re ceiving supplies of concrete, means for sup porting individual molds disposed adjacent I said members, a main concrete receptacle, a

conveyor lea-ding {FORT said receptacle to discharge onto one of the members, the rear end of said conveyor being above said member, 21 second conveyor extending to the other member from a point beyond the rear end of the first conveyor, and an apron associated with the second conveyor and arranged to budge the space between the conve vors to cause the concrete on the first conveyor to be discharged onto thesecond conveyor instead-of onto the member below the first conveyor.

In testimony whereof I affix my signaturek HARRY E. CLOUSER. 

